Best Products of the Year

The best consumer video production products of 2006, selected by the editors of Videomaker.

For a product to qualify for an award, it must have shipped in the 2006 calendar year, and it must have passed through

Videomaker headquarters for examination by our editors. From there, we judged products based on the following five criteria:
Empowerment - how effective the product is at helping videographers be more effective at video production.
Quality - it must be put together well, durable and show excellence in its category.
Usability - how user-friendly it is.
Innovation - it should have some inventive or original features.
Performance - it must work consistently, effectively and provide a good value for the price.

As video enthusiasts we get attached to some of the products that land on our desks for review. This year we've seen products get smaller, lighter, faster, sexier and more affordable. This year we really got attached. While many are incredible tools, we have to narrow the field for our "Best Products" award. These proved to be extraordinary tools for the consumer videographer; a handful of the camcorders introduced this year blew away our expectations for what a consumer camcorder can do; new computer systems have more processing power than you can shake a stick at; and, software packages give users the ability to make feature length productions with as much gloss as Hollywood. Still, the thing that amazes us the most is how approachable video production has become. Videomaker's 2006 Best Products of the Year salutes, not only the best gear, but the new generation of video producers who will be using these tools to share their voice with the world.

Canon Elura 100 $399

From a long line of contenders, the Elura 100 stands out largely based on its price-to-performance ratio. We were very surprised how much camcorder Canon squeezed into this small but powerful shooter. There's not much to scoff at with its 1/5" CCD, 20x optical zoom, mic input and user-friendly design. The Canon Elura 100 is a great deal for the consumer digital videographer looking for a stable, Mini DV camcorder.

Canon HV10 $1,299

The arrival of the HV10 broke expectations about what can be done with a consumer camcorder, offering a petite, sleek HDV camcorder with 1080i capabilities. Its single 1/2.7" CMOS sensor reproduces a vivid picture suitable for high definition displays. As we continue to watch high definition technologies filter down to the consumer, the Canon HV10 puts style and class as an exclamation point in this category of consumer HDV.

JVC Everio GZ-MG505 $1,300

For the shooter out there who is tired of recording media and is confident on data back-up practices (we hope we haven't lost your interest already), the JVC Everio GZ-MG505 is a robust solution. We like this camcorder's 3-CCD design, featuring 1/4.5" native 16:9 imagers. While it's not a high definition format, it's ready to display the proper aspect ratio on HD displays. Throw in a mic input, accessory shoe, 30GB storage capability and an easy to control interface, and you've got one heck of a "forward-thinking" standard definition camcorder.

Sony HDR-FX7 $3,500

This year Sony nearly perfected its HDV prosumer camcorders, of course, not to any of our objections. The HDR-FX7 marks a simple, powerful camcorder that can please the newcomer as well as the ambitions of a professional shooter with its manual controls. We love the 3 quarter-inch ClearVID CMOS sensors, HDMI interface, light-weight, yet remarkably well-balanced feel of this camcorder.